Sydney FC's hopes of an opening day victory were dashed by Spain's most prolific player of all time as David Villa scored a stunning equaliser to ensure Melbourne City began their new life with a point.

Without a number of senior players, a youthful Sydney FC held on to the new-money club of Australian football, who had to rely on their marquee star to take a share of the spoils.

It was a battle between two clubs in the dawn of a new era: one with a facelift, cash injection and boosted profile, the other with a stripped-back approach and rebuilding upwards from the foundations.

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For Melbourne City, it was the start of a second chance. For Sydney FC, it was an opportunity to finally get things right. For Sydney coach Graham Arnold, it was a result he was prepared to accept before kick-off.

"A hundred per cent, when you're playing the richest club in the country and you're playing against a world-class superstar like that," Arnold said.

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As things transpired early, it showed how old habits die hard.

Sydney struggled to get the ball out of their own half and lacked creativity in attack while Melbourne City – dressed still as Heart – couldn't finish their chances.

The youngster exuded the confidence of the new franchise and the impatience of their ambitions by striking the ball first time despite time and space.

His enthusiasm sent the ball crashing off the crossbar when patience might have helped direct it into the net. Sydney were embarking on their own beginning, but it was to be a nervous beginning against a club threatening to steal their "bling" tag.

Even the normally sturdy Sasa Ognenovski showed his nerves, air-swinging wildly to allow Mate Dugandzic to go through on goal.

It was as uncharacteristic as it was embarrassing but much to his delight, Dugandzic made sure footage of the blunder wouldn't go viral.

The City forward sprayed his shot wide of goal from close range that left the travelling fans wondering why on earth David Villa wasn't starting.

The moment 25,525 people came for arrived minutes after the restart when Villa – Spain's greatest ever goalscorer – walked into the A-League.

A World Cup, Champions League and multiple La Liga champion, his entrance suggested something special would immediately follow.

It did. But not from him.

Sharing the field with arguably the best player to have ever played in Australia, Sydney FC youngster Corey Gameiro produced a moment of brilliance Villa would have been proud of.

Receiving the ball in the far corner of the box, he unleashed a speculative first-time shot that curved into the far corner of the net, swerving around goalkeeper Andrew Redmayne and under the bar. But as soon as Sydney FC began to dream of an unlikely win, order was restored through none other than Villa.

There was talk he would arrive in Australia underdone through a lack of preparation, but the 32-year-old showed just how fickle some Australian pundits were.

With two touches, he sent his marker, Seb Ryall, into no-man's land and with a third, he slammed the ball into the far corner of the net.

It was a display of skill executed with the ease that is as bewildering for onlookers as it is frustrating for opponents. After all, how could they be expected to keep up?

Their best hopes hinged on starving Villa of possession and that's exactly what Sydney did. They could have snared a memorable win when Terry Antonis unleashed a volley from distance, only to be denied by the upright. In the end, they had to settle for a share of the spoils.

"I'm very proud of the boys," Arnold said. "I thought the first half we were a little bit nervous, a little bit tense.

"That's what a long off-season does – gives you a lot of time to think about the first game – but I thought the second half, we came into it much better. We moved the ball much better and if at the end if Antonis' shot didn't hit the cross bar, we would have won the game."